The Visible Value Blog

Welcome to a place where you can connect and learn.

When you think Zebra, you may think of printers, but we're so much more than that. A leader in developing solutions that feature barcode, RFID and RTLS technologies, Zebra converts the physical into the digital to give assets, people and transactions a virtual voice. When you have more visibility, you can drive more value.

In this blog, we will:

Break down the basics of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how our connected world is making a big impact on how we work and play

Cover all the latest trends in visibility technology, like barcoding, RFID and RTLS, across many industries

Give you a closer look at the latest news and solutions from Zebra

If you're looking for something specific on the blog, you can narrow your experience by region, vertical or subject and by subscribing, you can be notified when we share new content.

VfL Bochum, a second-division German football club, is one of the oldest established sports organisations in the world. However, that doesn’t mean it’s traditional in all senses of the word. It wants the latest technology to support its operational efficiency, which is why it has deployed a range of ZXP Series printers, including the latest Series 7 printer, and associated cards and ribbons, as well as TC70 Touch Computers from Zebra Technologies.

According a recent article in Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine, “the number of outpatient surgeries grew by 40% over a ten year period …Although nearly two-thirds of U.S. surgeries are performed in the ambulatory setting, little is known about patient safety and care quality in this arena. But that’s quickly changing.”

One of the keys to patient safety, implemented extensively throughout hospitals, is the ability to positively identify patients, primarily through barcoded wristbands. Though these wristbands have not been as widespread in the ambulatory setting, the critical need to increase patient safety in this area of the continuum means that soon patients will receive these identifiers regardless of the time it takes to receive their healthcare.

Back in September 2013 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued draft guidance on the Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID). GUDID is a publicly searchable database administered by the FDA that will serve as a reference catalogue for every device with an identifier. Under the UDI final rule, the labeller of each medical device labelled with a unique device identifier (UDI) must submit information concerning that device to the GUDID, unless subject to an exception or alternative.

Yes, it’s a US compliance guideline – but if you’re thinking you’re outside the US and it doesn’t apply to you, think again. If you’re a medical industry manufacturer and you’re exporting to the US, the guidelines apply to you, too.

And rightly so –your GP knows all about you: your age, your blood type, your allergies, your medical history and the medication that you take. Your records are safely stored in a database, which could be accessed by other medical professionals in an emergency situation.